Page 20 of Burn With Me

“Now, now. Let’s talk about something else, shall we? Ginny, how is the clinic? Are they treating you well?” Christine intercepts.

My eyes find hers as I sit back in my chair, crossing my arm under the one holding my glass. “Yeah, things are good there. I feel like I’m really making a difference.”

“That’s great to hear, honey! How are you feeling about Chris leaving soon? Will you be okay on your own? I’m going to be so worried about you in that apartment by yourself.” She pushes her half-eaten salad away and drains her white wine before laying a hand on my arm. “I worry about you here alone.”

“I’ll be fine.” My eyes meet Chris’ over the table. “In fact, I’m lookingforwardto having my own place for a while.”

Christineinsistswe see the Moulin Rouge! Broadway show.Just us girls.

While the show is fantastic, and honestly sort of relatable at times, my mind keeps drifting back to Désirer and wondering ifhe’sthere, wondering where I am.

After the show, I suggest we walk for a little bit before catching a cab back to the apartment. “I just need some air,” I tell her.

“Are you sure you’re feeling okay? You’ve beenoffall day, Ginny. You know you can tell me if something is bothering you,” Christine coos. She’s paying more attention to the knock-off purse vendors than she is to me, watching them with thinly veiled disgust as she scrunches her nose.

“Yeah, I’m feeling fine. You know how Chris is. Sometimes it’s just nice to get a little space.” We pass by Baked by Melissa and I pull her into the mini cupcake and macaron shop for a treat.

“I need to be able to fit into my dress, too, Gin.” She pats the nonexistent bump of her stomach and looks around as though the other people in the shop are judging her just for walking in the place.

Ignoring her, I tell the girl behind the counter, “We’ll take two sugar cookie macarons and two snickerdoodle ones, please.”

Christine lets me pay and we step out of the way, waiting for another girl to hand us our confections. “You’re thin as a rail. Two tiny macarons aren’t gonna kill you.”

“Oh, all right, I suppose,” she giggles. It makes me sad, because I know Calvin has never made her feel like she isn’t thin enough.

No, those comments have always come directly from Chris.

“Don’t want to get fat, Mom. Dad will leave you for someone younger.”

“Mom, have you put on weight? Maybe you should start up Pilates again.”

Where he gets his view on women from, I have no idea. But it certainlyisn’tCalvin.

We walk a few more blocks as we enjoy our dessert. The evening spring air bites at our cheeks, turning them a bright shade of rose as we make small talk about the newest gossip back in Beverly Woods and the things going on at the clinic—at least the things I can talk about.

“Well, I’m glad you’re happy. Any thoughts on moving into your own place?” The question is leading, and honestly, it takes me by surprise. Ever since I was eighteen they’ve been pushing for me to keep living with Chris so that I don’t have to pay rent.

At my confused look, she lets out a little laugh. “Darling, Iknowhow difficult Christopher can be. And I know it isn’t exactly fair that we bought him a place and not you one.”

“It’s fine–” I try to tell her, but she keeps going as though I haven’t said anything.

“I just don’t want you thinking that we love you any less than Christopher. What with school and rent being paid for, I assume you’ve built up quite the savings. If you wanted to use some of it for a down payment on something, I’m sure it can be arranged for whatever you want to spend to be matched.” She doesn’t look at me as she suggests it, but her offer nearly knocks me off my feet.

The Calloways have money, but they aren’t wealthy wealthy. They already have what I consider to be a mansion in Beverly Woods, one of those timeshare things with the Hilton Grand Vacations Club, and a condo in Coronado. Not to mention the three-bedroom apartment Chris and I live in.

“That’sreallygenerous of you, Christine,” I finally manage to say.

She shrugs as though it’s not, stepping to the edge of the sidewalk to hail a cab. “My little girl isn’t so little anymore. I know earlier it seemed like I didn’t want you to be on your own but it’s time you had your own space. In asecuredbuilding. And don’t think we aren’t making Chris take over the payments for his apartment once he’s secured his place at Tisch.”

Giving me a wink, she opens the door of the cab that’s stopped for us and gets in, sliding over as she gives the driver the address to the apartment.

For the first time since I’ve become a part of the Calloway’s family, I actuallyfeellike family.

Jackson

It’s been four days since I’ve seen her.

She hadn’t shown up at Désirer Sunday night, which was just as well because my uncle needed me to be there for a meeting with Carmela and Mick, and I hadn’t had time to slip away for as long as I would have liked, anyway.

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